1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fitting device of an electrical junction box that is mounted on a panel of a vehicle body. The fitting device is useful for recovery of the junction box together with a wiring harness connected to the junction box.
2. Related Art
An automobile vehicle has a lot of wiring harnesses (electrical cables) arranged therein. The wiring harnesses are connected to junction blocks (junction boxes), relay blocks, connector blocks, an ECU box, protectors, etc. The components are secured to a vehicle panel. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a junction block 10 is secured on a side panel 20a of with fixing screws (not shown) while another junction block 10 is secured on a side panel 20b with fixing screws (not shown). The junction blocks 10 are electrically connected to each other via a wiring harness 25 that is arranged along a reinforcing bar 21.
In a preliminary scraping process of the vehicle where recycled parts are specifically removed for recycling thereof, a J-shaped hook 26 hangs the wiring harness 25 to pull the junction blocks 10 upward to recover the junction blocks 10.
However, the pulling force via the J-shaped hook 26 causes breakdown of the wiring harness 25 or disconnection of connectors mounted on the junction blocks 10, while the junction blocks 10 remain on the panels 20. Because, the junction blocks 10 has been firmly secured on the panels with fixing screws to prevent disengagement of the junction blocks 10 due to vibrating forces during running of the vehicle.
The remaining junction blocks 10 take an additional time to remove it from the panel for recovering thereof. Because, a worker must release the fixing screws passing through brackets 15 and 17 with an impact wrench or the like. The worker needs to bend his body for the recovery process of the junction blocks 10.
To solve such problems, the applicant of this patent application proposed a fitting device of an electrical junction box (junction block) secured to a vehicle body panel. The fitting device of the junction box is improved such that the removal of the junction box becomes easy. The fitting structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-350331 (pages 2, 3 and FIG. 3).
The junction block has a main body 54 and a bracket 50 (FIG. 10) fitted on the main body 54. The main body 54 accommodates fuses and relays, and the bracket 50 is secured on a panel of the vehicle body. The bracket 50 is a tongue extending from a side surface of the main body 54 and secured on the vehicle panel with fixing screws.
The bracket 50 is formed with a breakdown accelerating portion 53, which has a step 51 and a plurality of breaking holes 52 that are positioned along a line L aligned with the step 51. The breakdown accelerating portion 53 has a sectional area smaller than the other part of the bracket 50, causing stress concentration in the breakdown accelerating portion 53 so that a small external force can break the breakdown accelerating portion 53 to separate the main body 54 from the bracket 50.
An external force exerted on the junction block causes a crack in the breakdown accelerating portion 53 of the bracket 50, and the crack runs along the line L passing the step 51 and the breaking hole 52. This allows recovery of the main body 54 without breakdown of the main body 54.
However, the conventional fitting device has a disadvantage to be solved as discussed hereinafter.
A vibration or impact force generated during running of a vehicle is exerted on the breakdown accelerating portion 53, which may disadvantageously break the accelerating portion 53. The breakdown of the accelerating portion 53 may cause the junction block to be removed from the vehicle panel so that the junction block is brought in an unstable hanged state. The junction block may become in a non-connection state by disconnection of connectors of the junction block, or the junction block itself may be broken by abutment against the vehicle panel.